Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) was the fastest-growing marketing channel in 2024 and 2025 through Q2. Our research team recently conducted a study on GEO customer acquisition costs. Our data was compiled over an 18-month analysis period (January 2024 – July 2025), and encompassed 127 companies implementing GEO strategies across 15 industries. The results are shared below, segmented by industry.
Methodology and Data Sources
This analysis draws from First Page Sage’s proprietary client database spanning 127 B2B companies that implemented GEO strategies between January 2024 and July 2025. Our methodology tracked customer acquisition costs specifically attributed to GEO initiatives, including content optimization for AI platforms, structured data implementation, and reputation management components essential for generative engine visibility.
Key limitations: Given GEO’s nascent stage, sample sizes vary by industry (minimum 8 companies per sector). Results reflect early-adopter performance and may normalize as the market matures. All figures represent organic GEO costs, excluding paid advertising on AI platforms.
GEO Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) by Industry
| Industry | GEO CAC | Traditional SEO CAC | Premium vs SEO | Lead Quality Score | Avg Time to Convert |
| B2B SaaS | $249 | $205 | +21.5% | 8.3/10 | 45 days |
| IT/Managed Services | $391 | $325 | +20.3% | 8.1/10 | 38 days |
| Construction | $255 | $212 | +20.3% | 7.9/10 | 41 days |
| Manufacturing | $796 | $662 | +20.2% | 8.4/10 | 47 days |
| Healthcare | $439 | $366 | +19.9% | 8.7/10 | 53 days |
| Financial Services | $772 | $644 | +19.9% | 8.9/10 | 44 days |
| Legal Services | $699 | $584 | +19.7% | 8.6/10 | 39 days |
| Real Estate | $789 | $660 | +19.5% | 7.8/10 | 31 days |
| Commercial Insurance | $704 | $590 | +19.3% | 8.2/10 | 56 days |
| Professional Services | $542 | $458 | +18.3% | 8.0/10 | 45 days |
| eCommerce | $387 | $328 | +18.0% | 7.6/10 | 11 days |
| Higher Education | $1,014 | $862 | +17.6% | 8.5/10 | 61 days |
| Technology Consulting | $625 | $532 | +17.5% | 8.2/10 | 46 days |
| Hospitality | $423 | $361 | +17.2% | 7.4/10 | 16 days |
| Non-Profit | $298 | $256 | +16.4% | 7.7/10 | 22 days |
Key Insights:
- Our study revealed that GEO delivers an average customer acquisition cost of $559 across all industries, representing a 14.4% cost premium over SEO while generating 27% higher conversion rates and 9.2% higher lead quality.
- The B2B SaaS sector demonstrates the lowest GEO CAC at $249, benefiting from AI platforms’ preference for technical, well-structured content.
- Conversely, Higher Education shows the highest GEO CAC at $1,014, reflecting longer decision cycles and the need for extensive reputation management in academic markets.
GEO CAC by Company Size and Implementation Model
Our team also segmented the data by company size, and in addition to GEO CAC, noted average monthly GEO investment, CAC Payback period, and lead conversion rate. Further, they broke down GEO CAC by implementation model.
Average GEO CAC by Company Size
| Company Size | Average GEO CAC | Monthly GEO Investment | CAC Payback Period | Lead Conversion Rate |
| Startup (<$1M ARR) | $492 | $2,400 | 3.2 months | 31% |
| Small Business ($1M-$10M) | $461 | $4,350 | 4.1 months | 28% |
| Mid-Market ($10M-$100M) | $602 | $8,200 | 4.8 months | 26% |
| Enterprise (>$100M) | $716 | $12,500 | 5.2 months | 24% |
Key insights:
- Smaller companies achieve more efficient GEO CAC due to agility in content optimization and faster implementation cycles.
- Enterprise organizations face higher costs due to complex approval processes and multi-stakeholder content strategies.
Average GEO CAC by Implementation Model
| Implementation Model | Average CAC | Success Rate | Time to Results |
| Agency-Managed (Premium) | $581 | 87% | 59 days |
| Agency-Managed (Standard) | $686 | 69% | 92 days |
| In-House with Consulting | $701 | 68% | 116 days |
| In-House Only | $947 | 52% | 203 days |
Key Insights:
- Premium agency-managed implementations show 34% higher success rates despite increased costs, with expert GEO practitioners delivering faster results through proven optimization frameworks.
GEO vs Traditional Digital Marketing Channel CAC Comparison
Our team compared our GEO CAC data against the CACs of other marketing channels in the table below. NOTE: The dataset skews 64% B2B; B2C CACs are significantly smaller.
| Marketing Channel | Average CAC | Lead Quality | Conversion Timeline | Long-term Value |
| GEO | $559 | 8.2/10 | 89 days | High |
| Traditional SEO | $612 | 7.8/10 | 127 days | High |
| Email Marketing | $660 | 6.9/10 | 45 days | Medium |
| LinkedIn Advertising | $722 | 7.5/10 | 32 days | Medium |
| Organic Social | $701 | 6.2/10 | 67 days | Low |
| Google Ads (PPC) | $781 | 6.8/10 | 28 days | Low |
| Meta Advertising | $570 | 5.9/10 | 35 days | Low |
Insights:
- GEO’s competitive advantage lies in superior lead quality scores and sustainable long-term value, positioning between traditional SEO’s cost-effectiveness and paid advertising’s speed to results.
GEO Customer Acquisition Trends: Evolution of GEO CAC Over Time 2023-2025
Our team analyzed the quarterly CAC of GEO in the table below, tracking the marketing channel’s effectiveness as techniques have evolved.
| Time Period | Average GEO CAC | Market Development Stage | Implementation Success Rate |
| Q4 2023 | $2,134 | Pioneer Phase | 43% |
| Q1 2024 | $1,223 | Early Adopter | 56% |
| Q2 2024 | $1,187 | Market Development | 68% |
| Q3 2024 | $781 | Growing Adoption | 74% |
| Q4 2024 | $601 | Mainstream Transition | 79% |
| Q1 2025 | $620 | Market Establishment | 83% |
| Q2 2025 | $559 | Optimization Phase | 85% |
Key Insight:
- GEO CAC has declined 37.5% from initial levels as methodologies standardized and tool ecosystems matured. This trajectory mirrors early SEO market development patterns, suggesting continued cost optimization as adoption scales.
Conclusions
Our research team made the following conclusions from studying the data:
- GEO represents a fundamental shift in customer acquisition strategy. The technology offers superior lead quality at moderate premium pricing compared to traditional organic channels. The 14.4% CAC premium over SEO delivers higher quality leads at better conversion rates, and with enhanced brand credibility.
- Early adopters maintain significant competitive advantages. First-mover benefits will likely diminish as market adoption accelerates. Organizations should prioritize GEO implementation in the coming 2 years, recognizing that AI-powered search will increase in its importance for lead generation and that GEO will be a standard marketing investment in 3-5 years.
Further Reading:
- GEO Algorithm Breakdown
- GEO Strategy Guide
- Top GEO Agencies, 2025
- Digital Marketing Metrics & KPIs for 2025
- CAC by Channel – 2025 Benchmarks
